“The interviews were transcribed”, but how? Reflections on management research

Purpose – In qualitative research, it is recurrent to conduct data collection through interviews, which must be first transcribed for the data to be analyzed. Although there is a relationship between the stages of the interview and the data analysis, the link between them (i.e. the transcription) seems to be a neglected methodological procedure. This occurs because, in papers, it is generally reported that “the interviews were transcribed”, without any details about the transcriptions conduction. From this methodological gap, this paper aims to discuss the relevance of detailing the methodological procedures adopted in the transcription in research reports in the management field. Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes the form of a methodological essay. Findings – The discussion focuses on the concepts of naturalized and denaturalized transcription, the relevance of adopting transcription norms and the need for reflexivity in conducting transcriptions – elements that must be explained in research reports to improve the methodological quality. Practical implications – This paper explores methodological details that management students and researchers can adopt when performing transcriptions. Consequently, journal editors and reviewers will have more subsidies on the methodological quality employed in researches, which contributes to a better evaluation process. Originality/value – This study demonstrates the relevance of a neglected methodological technique – transcription, which needs to be detailed in research reports, to contribute to the increase of methodological accuracy and to provide essential information to readers, allowing them to evaluate the rigor of the research. Thus, it is proposed that transcription should be considered a quality criterion in qualitative research

Avaliação da experiência do usuário: uma proposta de sistematização para o processo de desenvolvimento de produtos

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Mecânica, Florianópolis, 2014.Esta tese aborda a usabilidade e experiência do usuário (UX), propondo uma sistematização para avaliação da UX no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos. São apresentados os principais métodos de avaliações com usuários, métricas e fatores relacionados à Experiência do usuário, aplicados a cada fase do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos. Primeiramente, a fim de esclarecer o entendimento da usabilidade, Experiência do Usuário com base na literatura vigente, as principais diferenças e similaridades entre os termos foram apresentadas. Após o desenvolvimento da sistemática, foi realizada uma avaliação junto a especialistas da academia e da indústria permitiu a comparação do entendimento encontrado na literatura sobre UX e usabilidade com o entendimento dos especialistas, assim como a aplicabilidade desta sistemática ao desenvolvimento de produtos. O resultado da avaliação mostrou que, na percepção dos especialistas, a sistemática desenvolvida abrange os domínios do conhecimento necessários para a avaliação da UX no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos e integra-os, possibilitando a melhoria dos resultados da interação do produto com o usuário.Abstract : This thesis addresses the usability and user experience (UX), proposing a systematization for evaluating UX in product development process. The main methods of evaluations with users, metrics, and fac-tors related to experience the user, applied to each stage of the product development process are presented. First, in order to clarify the under-standing of Usability and User Experience based on current literature, the main differences and similarities between the terms were presented. After the development of systematic an evaluation has been conducted with experts from academy and industry that allowed the comparison of the understanding found in the literature on usability and UX with the understanding of experts, as well as the applicability of this systematic. The evaluation result showed that the perception of experts, developed the systematic cover areas of knowledge necessary for evaluating UX in product development process and integrates them, enabling improved results from the interaction of the product with the user

Combined electrical resistivity tomography and magnetic resonance sounding investigation of the surface-water/groundwater interaction in the Urema Graben, Mozambique

This study focusses on the hydrogeology of Urema Graben, especially possible interactions between surface water and groundwater around Lake Urema, in Gorongosa National Park (GNP). Lake Urema is the only permanent water source for wildlife inside GNP, and there are concerns that it will disappear due to interferences in surface-water/groundwater interactions as a result of changes in the hydraulic environment. As the lake is the only permanent water source, thiswould be a disaster for the ecosystem of the park. The subsurface geology in Urema Graben was investigated by 20 km of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and three magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) surveys. The average depth penetration was 60 and 100 m, respectively. The location of the ERT lines was decided based on general rift morphology and therefore orientated perpendicular to Urema Graben, from the transitional areas of the margins of the Barue platform in the west to the Cheringoma plateau escarpments in the east. ERT andMRS both indicate a second aquifer, where Urema Lake is a window of the first upper semi-confined aquifer, while the lower aquifer is confined by a clay layer 30–40 m thick. The location and depth of this aquifer suggest that it is probably linked to the Pungwe River which could be a main source of recharge during the dry season. If a dam or any other infrastructure is constructed in Pungwe River upstream ofGNP, the groundwater level will decrease which could lead to drying out of Urema Lake

Internacionalização e a Necessidade de Inovação em Modelos de Negócios – Uma Abordagem Teórica

The global market can be considered a volatile environment and the internationalization of a firm through the adoption of any entry mode may lead to the need to innovate or adapt its business model (BM) to better fit specific contexts of international markets. Even though entry modes have been deeply investigated during the last decades, the relation of business model innovation (BMI) and entry modes is a new study subject. This article assumes that the internationalization process is a trigger for innovation, and it aims to answer what are the different possibilities of BMI generated through the entry modes. The concepts of BM, BMI, and its relationship with internationalization and entry modes are investigated in this paper. Based on the literature review, a theoretical model is proposed to relate entry modes and the need of business model innovation. We identified that little is known about the relation between these subjects and applied research is required.O mercado global pode ser considerado um ambiente volátil, e a internacionalização de uma empresa pela adoção de qualquer modo de entrada pode estar relacionada à necessidade de inovar ou adaptar seu Modelo de Negócios (MN) para melhor se adequar a contextos específicos de mercados internacionais. Embora os modos de entrada tenham sido profundamente investigados nas últimas décadas, a relação entre Inovação do Modelos de Negócios (IMC) e modos de entrada é um novo objeto de estudo. Este artigo pressupõe que o processo de internacionalização é um gatilho para a inovação e visa responder quais são as diferentes possibilidades de IMC geradas por meio dos modos de entrada. Os conceitos de MN e IMN e sua relação com os modos de internacionalização e de entrada são investigados neste artigo. Com base na revisão da literatura, propõe-se um modelo teórico para relacionar os modos de entrada e a necessidade de IMN. Identificamos que pouco se sabe sobre a relação entre esses sujeitos,e uma pesquisa aplicada é necessária

Análise das motivações e influências ambientais na realização de investimentos externos diretos de empresas alemãs no Brasil

The movement towards the internationalization of multinationals was perceived as a process of deepening the corporate strategies of globalization and market competition. Considering the representativeness of Brazil as an environment that attracts investments by German companies and their participation in the Brazilian business environment, it is important to understand how the local context influence the process of internationalization. This article investigates the motivations of German firms to conduct Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Brazil and the influences of the local context. Through an exploratory qualitative research, the process of internationalization of five German multinationals was investigated. It was found that the convergence of interests of the countries’ government has motivated and influenced the conduction of FDIs. Incentives were given by the German government for the internationalization of firms, while the Brazilian market had presented a potential to growth. Social, cultural and technological characteristics of the country also motivated investment. This process suffers more influenced by factors associated with the German or even the global environment than the Brazilian environment, although the reasons for the start of FDI is largely motivated by the characteristics of the Brazilian market.O movimento das multinacionais para a internacionalização foi percebido como um processo de avanço das estratégias empresariais de globalização e competição nos mercados. Tendo em vista a representatividade do Brasil como ambiente de atração de investimentos de empresas alemãs e sua participação no ambiente de negócios brasileiro, é relevante compreender de que forma o contexto local influencia o processo de internacionalização. Este artigo investiga as motivações das empresas alemãs para a realização de Investimento Externo Direto (IED) no Brasil e as influências do contexto local neste processo de internacionalização. Através de uma pesquisa qualitativa exploratória, o processo de internacionalização de cinco multinacionais alemãs foi investigado. Verificou-se que a convergência de interesses dos países tem motivado e influenciado a realização de IEDs. O governo alemão forneceu incentivos para a internacionalização de empresas, ao passo que o mercado brasileiro apresentava potencial de crescimento e atraentes características sociais, culturais e tecnológicas para o investimento. Este processo sofre mais influências de fatores associados ao ambiente germânico, ou mesmo global, do que do ambiente brasileiro, muito embora as motivações para o início do IED sejam influenciadas em grande parte pelas características do mercado brasileiro

As Variáveis Relacionadas à Escolha do Modo de Entrada em Mercados Internacionais

The aim of this study is to analyze the variables related to the choice of entry mode in international markets made by executives of Brazilian companies in the electronics sector. To this end, was conducted a qualitative study of exploratory nature. More specifically, were collected interviews with nine business executives who have experienced processes of internationalization and choice of entry modes and with five experts on the topic. The data processed through the technique of thematic content analysis allowed to verify that the variables considered by Brazilian executives during the decision of entry mode are as follows: (i) cost; (ii) control; (iii) risk; (iv) cultural distance; (v) geographical distance; (vi) speed of internationalization and total travel time; (vii) multinational experience of the firm; (viii) market attractiveness; (ix) incentives of Brazilian entities; (x) the choice of the right partner; and, (xi) return from the operation. Still, based on the data obtained, it was possible to observe that the entry mode most used by the companies interviewed in the electronics sector is the exportation, while the franchises don't call the attention of executives.O objetivo do presente trabalho é analisar as variáveis relacionadas à escolha do modo de entrada em mercados internacionais feita por executivos de empresas brasileiras do setor eletroeletrônico. Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo qualitativo de natureza exploratória. Mais especificamente, foram coletadas entrevistas com nove executivos de empresas, que vivenciaram processos de internacionalização e de escolha de modos de entrada, e com cinco especialistas sobre o tema. Os dados, tratados através da técnica de análise de conteúdo temática, permitiram constatar que as variáveis consideradas pelos executivos brasileiros durante a decisão do modo de entrada são as seguintes: (i) custo; (ii) controle; (iii) risco; (iv) distância cultural; (v) distância geográfica; (vi) velocidade de internacionalização e tempo total de viagem; (vii) experiência multinacional da firma; (viii) atratividade do mercado; (ix) incentivos de entidades brasileiras; (x) escolha do parceiro certo; e, (xi) retorno da operação. Ainda, com base nos dados obtidos, foi possível observar que o modo de entrada mais utilizado pelas empresas entrevistadas do setor eletroeletrônico é a exportação, enquanto que as franquias não despertam o interesse dos executivos